Tuesday, June 30, 2015

OPENING
THIS WEEK Kam's Kapsules:
Weekly
Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun
by
Kam WilliamsFor movies
opening July 10, 2015

BIG
BUDGET FILMS

The Gallows (Unrated) Harrowing,
found-footage horror flick revolving around about a haunted high
school's ill-advised decision to mount another production of the same
creepy play that cost a student his life onstage a generation
earlier. Ensemble includes Cassidy Gifford, Pfeifer Brown, Ryan
Shoos, Reese Mishler, Alexis Schneider and Price T. Morgan.

Minions (PG for action and rude
humor) Animated spinoff of the Despicable Me franchise chronicles the
evolution of the tiny title characters from single-celled organisms
into selfless yellow creatures capable of undying devotion to a
diabolical master. This adventure finds them under the thumb of a
female super-villain (Sandra Bullock) who is not only bent on world
domination but on the total annihilation of Minionkind. Voice cast
includes John Hamm, Michael Keaton, Allison Janney, Steve Carell and
Geoffrey Rush.

Self/Less (PG-13 for profanity,
sexuality and violence) Thought-provoking
sci-fi thriller about a terminally-ill cancer patient (Ben
Kingsley) who gets a new lease on life
by way of an experimental operation in which his brain is
transplanted into the body of a healthy young man (Ryan Reynolds).
With Derek Luke, Natalie Martinez, Matthew Goode and Victor Garber.

INDEPENDENT
& FOREIGN FILMS

10,000
Km (R for profanity, graphic sexuality and brief frontal nudity)
Romantic dramedy, set in L.A. and Barcelona, about a couple's (David
Verdaguer and Natalia Tena) struggle to maintain a long-distance
relationship. (In Spanish, Catalan and English with subtitles)

The
Breakup Girl (Unrated) Dysfunctional family dramedy revolving around
the stormy reunion of three estranged sisters (Shannon Woodward,
Natasha Leggero and Wendi McClendon-Covey) necessitated by the death
of their father. With Catherine Bach, Casey Wilson and Mary Kay
Place.

Meet
Me in Montenegro (Unrated) Romantic comedy, set in Berlin, where a
chance meeting has an American filmmaker (Alex Holdridge) falling in
love again with the Norwegian dancer (Linnea Saasen) who dumped him
in Montenegro several years earlier. Cast includes Jennifer Ulrich,
Rupert Friend and Ben Braun. (In English and German with subtitles)

Nowitzki:
The Perfect Shot (Unrated) Reverential biopic highlighting the
scientific approach to basketball taken by Dirk Nowitzki, as well as
the NBA All-Star's long-term relationship with his mentor, German
physicist Holger Geschwindner. Featuring appearances by Jason Kidd,
Kobe Bryant, Mark Cuban and Steve Nash. (In English and German with
subtitles)

Stations
of the Cross (Unrated) Coming-of-age drama about a devout, 14
year-old Catholic's (Lea van Acken) attempt to reenact the last days
of Christ's life, much to the chagrin of her disapproving mother
(Franziska Weisz) and a smitten classmate (Moritz Knapp) with a crush
on her. With Michael Kamp, Lucie Aron and Anna Bruggermann. (In
German, French and Latin with subtitles)

Strangerland
(R for profanity, sexuality and brief nudity) Australian thriller
about a couple's (Nicole Kidman and Joseph Fiennes) frantic search
for the son (Nicholas Hamilton) and daughter (Maddison Brown) who
disappeared just before a dust storm engulfed their desert town. Cast
includes Sean Keenan, Meyne Wyatt and Benedict Hardie.

Tango
Negro (Unrated) Musical documentary, set in Argentina and Uruguay,
explores the African roots of the Tango. (In Spanish with subtitles)

What
We Did on Holiday (PG-13 for profanity and mature themes) Marital
crisis comedy about a British couple (Rosamund Pike and David
Tennant) trying to hide their impending divorce while vacationing
with relatives in Scotland. Support cast includes Billy Connolly, Ben
Miller and Emilia Jones.

“Why is it becoming
increasingly acceptable to kill unarmed black children? Why are they
so easily perceived as a threat? How are we to keep our black
children safe?

As the mother of a black
male child, I find these to be urgent questions. The slaying of
Trayvon [Martin] struck a nerve deep within me. After Jordan [Davis],
then Jonathan [Ferrell], then Renisha [McBride], I was practically
unnerved.

I knew I had to seek
answers. This book reflects my search for those answers.”

-- Excerpted from the
Prologue (page ix)

It
seems that once a month or so, with painful regularity, another
unarmed black person is gunned down by a white civilian or white
police officer. What is the reason for this escalating epidemic? Is
it really a recent development or merely a long-hidden aspect of
America's social structure that's come to light because of the
profusion of cell phones in circulation among the population?

That's
what Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas, as the mother of a black boy, found
herself wondering in the wake of the shooting of Trayvon Martin. She
also heard President Obama say that, if he had a son, he would look
like Trayvon.

That
made Kelly think, “I DO have a son, and he DOES look like Trayvon.”
So, for her, the crisis was more than a matter of mere rhetorical
speculation. Not wanting her son to become the next statistic, she
heeded an urgent inner call to action.

As
a Professor of Religion at Goucher College, she decided her skills
could best be put to use researching the burgeoning phenomenon. And
the upshot of her research efforts is Stand Your Ground: Black Bodies
and the Justice of God, an enlightening examination of the
deep-seated roots of the racist reasoning relied upon in the course
of snuffing out African-Americans lives so cavalierly.

The
author opens the opus with a history lesson, tracing the source of
the problem back hundreds of years to the birth of “Exceptionalism”
in Anglo-Saxon England. Reserved for whites, that notion enabled
Caucasians to adopt the concept of “Manifest Destiny” that led to
the extermination of Native Americans (relying on the rallying cry
“The only good Indian is a dead Indian”) and to the wholesale
subjugation of Africans as property.

She
sees today's Stand Your Ground law as a logical extension of the
supremacist philosophy that sustained slavery, Jim Crow segregation,
lynching and other institutionalized forms of color-coded oppression.
Apparently, part and parcel of that shameful scheme was a “natural
law theo-ideology” hyper-valuing whiteness while denigrating the
black body as “perpetually-guilty chattel.”

An
iconoclastic cultural critique indicting the doctrine of Manifest
Destiny for the rationalization of a perpetual war on
African-American males.

Monday, June 29, 2015

What made
the original Magic Mike so appealing was it's raw-edged, realistic
feel that made you forgot you were even watching a movie. This
relatively-superficial sequel tosses the notion of plausible
character and plot development out the window in favor of a sensual
take the money-and-run sequel focused squarely on titillation.

Yes,
Channing Tatum has returned in the title role, but conspicuously
absent are Matthew McConaughey, Olivia Munn and a couple of other
actors critical to the success of the original. Also gone is the
picture's legendary director, Oscar-winner Steven Soderbergh (for
Traffic) who retired in 2013 out of frustration with the film
industry.

XXL picks
up three years after the ending of the first episode, conveniently
ignoring the fact that Mike had specifically left stripping for a
legit line of work in order to walk off into the proverbial sunset
with a grateful girlfriend. At the point of departure, we find Mike
single again and flourishing as a furniture designer. He is soon
duped into attending what is supposed to be the wake of Dallas
(McConaughey), his former boss at the notorious nightclub known as
Xquisite.

Upon
arriving, however, Mike learns that Dallas is alive and well and
living in Macao. The deceitful death notice was just a ruse concocted
by pals to pitch him on participating in a reunion of The Kings of
Tampa. That brawny brotherhood of hunky dudes with whom he'd once
shared the stage is now interested in taking their bawdy burlesque
show on the road.

Already
signed on are Tarzan (Kevin Nash), Big Dick (Joe Manganiello), Tito
(Adam Rodriguez) and Ken (Matt Bomer),
as well as rubbery eunuch Tobias (Gabriel Iglesias), who's been
enlisted to serve as the chauffeur of their food truck-turned-tour
bus. The plan is to drive from Florida to Myrtle Beach, South
Carolina to perform in a competition at the annual strippers convention.

It
doesn't take much in the way of arm-twisting to bring Mike aboard,
and the next thing you know the motley crew is cutting a swath
across the South, making stops to strip at seedy dives along the way,
a big exception being the upscale establishment run by Mike's ex,
Rome (Jada Pinkett Smith), which caters to a predominantly black
female clientele. Among the buff bods in her sepia stable are Andre
(Donald Glover), Augustus (Michael Strahan)
and Malik (Stephen “tWitch” Boss). Magic
Mike XXL was directed by Gregory
Jacobs, best known for the made-for-TV Liberace biopic, Behind the
Candelabra, which landed 11 Emmys in 2013. Too bad he apparently
couldn't be bothered with crafting a credible story line for this
disappointing, big screen production.

An
unabashedly carnal indulgence solely interested in inducing
gelatinous drools of saliva from the mouths of overstimulated
females.

Sunday, June 28, 2015

Born
in Montgomery, Alabama on September 29, 1982, Stephen Boss was always
spinning and staying in motion as a child, which is how he earned the
nickname “tWitch.” After studying dance at Southern Union State
Community, he made his Hollywood debut in Season 3 of the reality TV
series “So You Think You Can Dance” and was runner-up in the
Finals in Season 4.

He
parlayed that television success into a film career, appearing in
Hairspray, Blades of Glory, Stomp the Yard 2 and, most notably,
several installments of the Step Up franchise: Step Up Revolution,
Step Up: All in, and Step Up 3D. And since April of 2014, he has been
featured on “The Ellen Degeneres Show” as a guest DJ.

tWitch
is married to his “So You Think You Can Dance” co-star, Allison
Holker.

StB:
I had
never worked with anybody doing the film before, which was great. And
then when I heard that they were doing a sequel, I just put it out
there that I was going to be a part of it. And I was excited.

KW:
Editor/Legist
Patricia Turnier asks: How would you describe the character you are
portraying?

StB:
Malik
is the guy that kind of inspires Mike to mind his p's and q's in
order to be able prove that he's still a top notch dancer.

KW:
How do
you prepare differently to play a stripper than to play the street
dancer in Step Up or the fraternity step dancer in Stomp the Yard 2?

StB:
Well, a
lot of it has to do with the choreography. Once you're on set with
the extras who are ready to throw dollars and excited that you're
actually taking your shirt off it's pretty easy to get into
character. Our choreographer, Alison Faulk, helped tremendously to
make sure we were still bringing it.

KW:
When
you're cast alongside so many other great dancers, what do you have
to do to stand out and put your personal mark on a movie?

StB:
Honestly,
by just getting down the only way that I can, which I think I did
with my first solo team. That was basically me free-styling. And when
I free-style, that's just the way that I dance. Nobody else dances
like that. So,
I think that's enough, doing me to the fullest.

KW:
What
message do you think people will take away from the film?

StB:
[Laughs]
It depends on what message you are open to taking. There's the
underlying buddy theme to this film about taking a road trip with
your boys for your last hurrah, and having a good time and being open
for anything. There are a lot of unexpected twists and turns and
relationships formed due to unforeseen circumstances that actually
work out for the better.

KW:
Sangeetha
Subramanian says: Twitch! Great seeing you with your wife on the
finale of Dancing With The Stars last season. How do you make your
schedules work, since you are both in the entertainment industry?

StB:
Well,
we just make it work. It's a day-to-day process. Sometimes, we're
like ships passing in the night. But on a lot of other occasions,
we've been fortunate to wrap projects at the same time. When she
finished “Dancing with the Stars” this past season, it just so
happened she wrapped the same day as “The Ellen Show.” So, both
of us then had a couple of weeks off together. So far, it's been
great! It's been working out.

KW:
Harriet
Pakula-Teweles says: We all got nicknames when we were young. How do
you feel about keeping yours?

StB:
I
don't mind it at all, because it's a part of my being. It's
become part of my persona, when it comes to dance.

KW:
Kevin
Curran says: The teacher in me wonders whether the "tWitch"
activity level for which you were nicknamed persists to this day? Was
it ever a problem for you in school, or was it possibly an asset?

StB:
It was
definitely a problem in school, but it was an asset, for sure. And
yes, I continue to dance quite a bit and it remains very hard for me
to sit still today, especially when music is playing. I had trouble
in school because I didn't want to focus. Honestly, I would have
rather been dancing.

KW:
Kevin
also asks: What do you see as the ideal trajectory for where you
would like your career to go from here: mostly dance, mostly acting,
or a continuation of both?

StB:
I would
prefer mostly acting, but I would like to still like to be in the
dance world, as well. I've been studying acting in preparation for
the next opportunity where a role comes along that isn't attached to
a dance component. When it comes to dance, TV shows like “So You
Think You Can Dance” and “Dancing with the Stars,” give you a
platform to start and expand a dance business beyond your physical
likeness, meaning I don't necessarily have to be there for the
operation to flourish.

KW:
How
have you enjoyed being a guest DJ on Ellen? Do you really pick the
music, or just play it?

StB:
It's so
much fun. I pick the music but, of course, Ellen has her say in terms
of what she wants to hear. We have an incredible time. If you come to
a taping of the show, you'll see how much fun it is.

KW:
David
Roth asks: How come they missed you when they cast Chocolate City?

StB:
[LOL]
Because they cast me in Magic Mike XXL.

KW:
Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone
would?

StB:
I don't
know the answer to that question, but I'm sure there is one.

KW:
What is
your guiltiest pleasure?

StB:
Strawberry
Twizzlers.

KW:
The Uduak Oduok question: Who is your favorite clothes designer?

StB:
When it
comes to fashion, I really enjoy sneakers. So, I'm going to have to
say Jordans.

KW:
The
Mike Pittman question: What was your best career decision?

StB:
To
never stop.

KW:
Was
there a meaningful spiritual component to your childhood?

StB:
Yes there was, for sure. I was
raised religious, for the most part, which came with a spiritual
component that has continued. So, i've always had spirituality
around me.

Faith-Based Family Film Finds Believer and Doubting Thomas Bonding En
Route to Vietnam War Memorial in DC

GIs Steven
George (Sean McGowan) and Edward Adams (Scott Whyte) became best
friends while serving behind enemy lines in Vietnam, despite the fact
that the former was a devout Christian while the latter was
definitely a Doubting Thomas. Sadly, both the atheist and the
believer perished in battle in 1969, with each leaving behind a child
he never got to know.

Fast-forward
a quarter-century and we discover that the apples didn't fall far
from their patrilineal trees. Steven's offspring John (Kevin
Downes) has been blessed with a strong faith like his late father,
and Edward's son Wayne (David A.R. White) has somehow developed his
own dad's disdain for organized religion.

This
gulf in attitudes has ostensibly had a profound effect on the
orphans' respective fortunes.
For, John is stable and successful and on the brink of tying the knot
with the love of his life, Cynthia (Candace Cameron Bure). By
contrast, Wayne is an underachieving ne'er-do-well who has had more
than his share of run-ins with the law.

Since
John lives in California and Wayne in Mississippi, the two never met
until the still-grieving groom-to-be informs his very patient fiancee
that, before he walks down the aisle with her, he needs to repair the
hole in his soul by learning all he can about his dearly-departed
dad. That quest leads to Wayne, who just happens to have a stash of
letters his father mailed home from the jungles of Southeast Asia. The
two soon hatch a plan to read the letters while making a pilgrimage
to the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, DC. What ensues is a very eventful road trip in which Christ and the
devil do battle for the heathen's soul. The flashback-driven drama
proceeds to alternate between the sons' spiritually-oriented sojourn
and recreations of their dads similar discussions of the virtues of
Christianity over the course of their fateful tour of duty overseas. Thus
unfolds Faith of Our Fathers, a faith-based modern parable
directed and co-written by Corey Scott
(Hidden Secrets). Fair warning: while the movie does feature
wholesome family fare, it's occasional proselytizing (“Know
that Jesus loves you and that you can trust Him.”) is distracting,
but not so overpowering as to spoil the experience.

Look
for Born Again Baldwin Brother Stephen in a scene-stealing
performance as Sergeant Mansfield, the only character to appear both
in the past and in present scenes. In 1969, we find him chastising
Steven for preparing the men in his unit to die. But, he's singing a
different tune 25 years later when he conveniently intervenes in a
deus ex machina moment.

A latter-day variation on the
Prodigal Son parable
providing
proof that God still works in mysterious ways.

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Headline:
White-Collar Criminal Preps for Prison with Help of Faux Ex-Con in
Unlikely-Buddies Comedy

Thanks
to a flourishing career as a hedge fund manager, James King (Will
Ferrell) is living in the lap of luxury in a sprawling, Bel Air
mansion. Furthermore, the pampered multimillionaire’s stock seems
about to skyrocket, given his promotion to partner and his impending
marriage to the boss’ (Craig T. Nelson) daughter, Alissa (Alison
Brie).

By
contrast, working man Darnell Lewis (Kevin Hart) is stuck on the
other side of the proverbial tracks in South Central L.A. where he
has to worry on a daily basis about the welfare of his wife (Edwina
Findley) and young daughter (Ariana Neal). He’s eager to move them
out of the ‘hood, but first needs to save $30,000 to secure the
mortgage on their dream house.

As
a regular patron of a valet car washing service, James has regularly
crossed-paths with Darnell. Nevertheless, he mistakes him for a
mugger the day he’s surprised to see a black man approach him in
the office parking lot.

To
add insult to injury, instead of apologizing for the hurtful faux
pas, tone deaf James insensitively claims ”I would’ve reacted the
same, if you were white.” Then, he rubs salt in cash-strapped
Darnell’s wounds by suggesting that, “I got to where I am by hard
work,” before smugly adding, “Success is a mindset.”

However,
the two’s roles are reversed when James is convicted of securities
fraud, and sentenced to ten years in San Quentin. With just a month
before he has to report to prison, he asks Darnell to prepare him for
life behind bars, based on another unfounded assumption, namely, that
he’s an ex-con.

Darnell
agrees, charging precisely the $30,000 he needs as a down payment on
his ticket out of the ghetto. However, the jokes are all on James,
since the supposed “incarceration expert” he’s just hired has
never even seen the inside of a jail.

Thus
unfolds Get Hard, an unlikely-buddies comedy co-starring Kevin Hart
and Will Ferrell. The movie marks the noteworthy directorial debut of
Etan Cohen, whose successful mix of over-the-top slapstick and subtle
social satire yields a cinematic experience as silly as it is
thought-provoking.

So,
one moment, we might witness goofy, gratuitous nudity courtesy of
exhibitionistic Ferrell who has never been shy about prancing around
in his birthday suit, his Rubenesque physique notwithstanding. The
next, we’re treated to relatively-sophisticated humor such as the
musings of a spoiled rich kid boasting about how he built his company
with his own two hands, before also admitting that he had actually
relied upon an $8,000,000 loan from his father as seed money.

Provided
you’re open to politically-incorrect fare ranging from racist to
misogynistic to homophobic, you’re likely to enjoy this inspired
pairing of the relentlessly absurd Ferrell and the motor-mouthed Hart
at the top of their games.

OPENING THIS WEEK
Kam's Kapsules:
Weekly
Previews That Make Choosing a Film Fun
by
Kam WilliamsFor movies
opening July 3, 2015

BIG
BUDGET FILMS

Faith of Our Fathers (PG-13 for brief violence)
Christian-oriented drama about two strangers (Kevin Downes and David
A.R. White) who bond while driving from Mississippi to Washington, DC
with plans to locate where their killed-in-action dads' names were
engraved in the Vietnam War Memorial. With Stephen Baldwin, Candace
Cameron Bure and Rebecca St. James.

Terminator Genisys (PG-13 for intense violence,
partial nudity and brief
profanity) Reboot of the sci-fi franchise, set in 2029, finds John
Connor (Jason Clarke) again leading the resistance in humanity's
ongoing war with the cyborgs. Cast includes Arnold Schwarzenegger, JK
Simmons, Emilia Clarke, Dayo Okeniyi, Matt Smith, Courtney B. Vance
and Jai Courtney.

INDEPENDENT &
FOREIGN FILMS

Amy (R for
profanity and drug use) Bittersweet biopic revisiting the rise and
fall of Grammy-winner Amy Winehouse who died of alcohol poising in
2011 at the age of 27. Featuring appearances by Tony Bennett, Mark
Ronson and Mos Def.

Cartel Land
(Unrated) Drug wars documentary chronicling the vigilante uprising
led by a small-town physician trying to topple the cartel wreaking
havoc on Michoacan, Mexico. (In English and Spanish with subtitles)

In Stereo (Unrated)
Romantic dramedy about the on-again/off-again relationship of a
couple of thirty-somethings (Beau Garrett and Micah Hauptman) who
take forever to wake up and realize they were meant for each other.
With Maggie Geha, Aimee Mullins and Mario Cantone.

Jimmy's Hall (PG-13
for profanity and a scene of violence) Barry Ward plays the title
character in this historical drama revolving around the return to
Ireland in 1932 of Jimmy Gralton, a Communist organizer deported to
the U.S. a decade earlier during the “Red Scare.” With Francis
Magee, Aileen Henry and Simone Kirby.

Mala Mala (Unrated)
Genderbending documentary celebrating the lives of nine members of
Puerto Rico's transgender and drag queen communities. (In Spanish and
English with subtitles)

Stray Dog (Unrated)
Reverential biopic about Ron Hall, a biker with a heart of gold who
has devoted his life to helping pet pooches, friends, family and
fellow Vietnam vets.

Zarafa (Unrated)
Animated adventure, set in the 19th Century, about a 10
year-old runaway slave (Max Renaudin Pratt) who flees sub-Saharan
Africa across the desert on the back of a giraffe before sailing to
Paris with the help of a Greek princess-turned-pirate (Ronit
Elkabetz). Voice cast includes Simon Abkarian, Roger Dumas and
Mohamed Fellag. (In French with subtitles)

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

The "New Rules" of Thinking and the Simple Secrets to Living a Rich, Joyous, and Fulfilled Life

by
Stuart K. Robinson

Tallfellow
Press

Paperback,
$14.95

162
pages

ISBN:
978-1-931290-05-0

Book
Review by Kam Williams

It
All Begins with 'I'

The
"New Rules" of Thinking and the Simple Secrets to Living a
Rich, Joyous and Fulfilled Life

by
Stuart K. Robinson

Tallfellow
Press

Paperback,
$14.95

162
pages

ISBN:
978-1-931290-05-0

Book
Review by Kam Williams

“What is your deepest
desire? Probably the same thing most others really want: a happy and
fulfilled life. When we don't experience life as happy and fulfilled,
our tendency is to look for someone or something to blame, our
parents, our boss, the government, an adversary, and a lengthy list
of others.

However, even if and when
we identify someone to blame, we are struck with with the stunning
truth that we have zero power to change those people or conditions.
And so we feel powerless. That feeling stops now.

In the pages that follow,
you will see that you have all the power you need... And when you
take control... by understanding and steadfastly following the New
Rules of Thinking in this book, you will see miraculous results.”

-- Excerpted from the
Introduction (page xiii)

If
you're in the market for a positive thinking self-help primer, It All
Begins with 'I' certainly fits the bill. The book was written by
Stuart K. Robinson, a motivational speaker and life coach who has
inspired folks all over the world with his “New Rules of Thinking.”
Now, Mr. Robinson has reduced those 14 affirmations to an
easy-to-digest format for those who can't come to see him in person.

You've
probably heard most of his common sense advice before in one form or
another. Take, Rule #6: “I Will Fire the Announcer.” By that, the
author means ignoring that distracting, negative voice in your head
capable of discouraging you via a defeatist attitude. He suggests
that, instead, you “Trust your heart, because you feel it.”

Robinson's
other axioms range from “I Will Determine My Habits” to “I Will
Believe in Myself” to “I Am Who I Think I Am, and I Get What I
Expect.” In terms of more innovative ideas, he devotes an entire
chapter to the difference between the “I” (good) and “Me”
(bad) mentalities.

Previously,
I always assumed that the distinction between those first person
pronouns was merely grammatical. But the author makes a persuasive
case for eschewing the latter one, suggesting that having limiting
thoughts like “What about me?” can be very self-destructive.

Robinson
closes his optimistic opus with a trio of big secrets: the secret to
a happy life, the secret to getting anything you want in two weeks,
and the secret to finding out who you really are. Far be it from me
to spoil those tips beyond relating that “happiness is yours”
provided you follow Mr. Robinson's step-by-step path to total bliss.

Total
fulfillment for just $14.95, if you're inclined to give it a shot.

To
order a copy of It All Begins with 'I': The "New Rules" of
Thinking and the Simple Secrets to Living a Rich, Joyous and
Fulfilled Life, visit:

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

When rap
arrived back in the late Seventies, more than the music burst on the
scene. The performers' outlandish costumes also had a profound effect
on American culture which proceeded to mimic everything from MC
Hammer's balloon pants to Run DMC's fedoras and Adidas outfits.

As the
genre matured, the more business-savvy artists opted to capitalize on
their influence by launching their own clothing lines. They figured,
why send the stock of fashionistas like Ralph Lauren and Tommy
Hilfiger through the roof when they could wear their own labels
onstage? Subsequently, industry newcomers such as Daymond John's FUBU
and Puff Daddy's Sean John kick-started brands which became
multi-million dollar household names available in fine stores
everywhere. That
surprising development is the subject of Fresh Dressed, a
visually-captivating celebration of the sartorial splendor which
blossomed during the Golden Age of Rap. The fascinating documentary
takes a delightful stroll down Memory Lane courtesy of reams of
archival footage featuring folks in garish, spray-paint-colored
outfits. It also has plenty of present-day reflections on the
phenomenon by plenty of Hip-Hop icons: Nas, Pharrell, Kid, Play and
Damon Dash, to name a few. The movie
marks the impressive writing and directorial debut of Sacha Jenkins,
who has deftly interwoven all of the above elements into an
informative history lesson that's worth the investment even if you're
not a fan of rap. For instance, you'll learn how to avoid getting
“vicked” (Ebonics for “victimized”) which is a distinct
possibility if you're dumb enough to walk through the 'hood wearing a
pair of the latest Air Jordans. Believe it
or not, gangstas build their wardrobe around their sneakers, since
looking “fresh” (aka “stylish”) starts with the feet. As Kid
reminisces, “People
were killed for their shoes,” so “the one thing you never wanted
to hear was someone asking you your shoe size.” Back in the
day, if you decided to walk a mile in a man's moccasins, you meant
that literally, not figuratively. Hey, that way, you'd not only have
his shoes, but you'd have a decent head start on the barefoot sucka. A nostalgic
tribute to a materialistic generation weaned on conspicuous
consumption where capped gold teeth and gaudy clock necklaces were
trendy fashion statements.

Monday, June 22, 2015

The
youngest of three boys, Ronald Cyler II was born in Jacksonville,
Florida on . March 21, 1995. He demonstrated a love of the arts and
entertaining early on, teaching himself to play the keyboard and
drums, and forming a dance duo with his older brother, Broderick, at
the age of 12.

In
the summer of 2012, RJ traveled to the West Coast to hone his skills
at acting camp. Encouraged by the experience, he asked his parents if
they would consider relocating to Los Angeles to support his pursuit
of a showbiz career.

With
his family solidly behind him, he began meeting with agents, and
subsequently signed with Landis-Simon Productions and Talent
Management, as well as JLA Talent Agency. Here, he talks about making
his acting debut in the title role of Earl in the screen adaptation
of Me and Earl and the Dying Girl,
which won
both the Audience and Grand Jury Awards at the 2015 Sundance Film
Festival.

Kam
Williams: Hi
RJ, thanks for the interview.

RJ
Cyler:
Ola,
Kam! No problem.

KW:
I
really loved Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. But so have all the
critics and audiences. Congratulations!

RJC:
Thanks!

KW:
What interested you in the film?

RJC:
The
honesty of the film, and how realistically it treats teenagers. A lot
of movies present us as only interested in romance, which is kind of
offensive, since we're a lot more complicated than that. We also have
friends who are genuinely just friends. This script highlighted that
aspect of the teenage mind, and I appreciated the fact that it was
authentic and raw.

KW:
What
was it like playing the title character in your screen debut?

RJC:
I'm
still trying to wake up from the dream. It's crazy, really.

KW:
Were
you familiar with the book the movie's based on before you became
attached to the project?

RJC:
No, I only read it right before we started filming, in the week
before production.

KW:
Editor/Legist
Patricia Turnier asks: Would
you describe yourself as similar to your character, Earl?

RJC:
Yes.

KW:
Patricia
also asks: What message do you think people will take away from the
film?

RJC:
To be more appreciative of the
many blessing that that we take for granted everyday, like our health
and the simple ability to move our limbs.

KW:
Patricia
asks: How old were you when you knew you wanted to become an actor?

RJC:
I was 16.

KW:
Children's
book
author Irene Smalls asks: What
do you consider Me and Earl, a love story or a coming-of-age
story?

RJC:
It's more of a coming-of-age story, because it doesn't follow
that boy-meets-girl, boy-dates-girl formula.

KW:
Irene
also
asks: What
were you most trying to communicate to the audience about your
character?

RJC:
That he wasn't your
stereotypical black best friend, but a character you learn from,
since he serves as the moral compass of the film.

KW:
Harriet
Pakula-Teweles asks: How does a young performer who started out as a
”song and dance man” prepare himself for a performance on screen
as a compassionate and caring teen?

RJC:
By being genuine. I had no special technique for my approach to
the character. The way that Earl handled situations was the same way
that I would handle situations in real life.

KW:
Sangeetha
Subramanian says: RJ, I loved the trailer, and cannot wait to see the
movie. What did you learn from this experience?

RJC:
Every
second on set was a learning experience. I mostly learned that less
is more, that you don't have to push for emotion. The movies that
push the hardest for emotion are the worst movies. The genuine
emotions and the genuine laughs that come unforced are the ones that
people remember most.

KW:
The
bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?

RJC:
”Paddle
Your Own Canoe” by Nick Offerman.

KW:
I
didn't know he wrote a book.

RJC:
He wrote two. I just got his new one.

KW:
Did you
see him in The Kings of Summer? That's another great coming-of-age
movie.

RJC:
No, I missed it.

KW:
The music maven Heather Covington question: What was the last song
you listened to?

RJC:
”So
Special” by Lil Wayne and John Legend.

KW:
What is your favorite dish to cook?

RJC:
Ramen
noodles.

KW:
When
you look in the mirror, what do you see?

RJC:
I see
this really odd, awkward person who's ready to make history.

KW:
If you
could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for?

RJC:
The
same powers as Superman.

KW:
The Ling-Ju Yen question: What
is your earliest childhood memory?

RJC:
Slipping
on a melted carpet and hitting my head on the radio while running
through our apartment when I was about 6 years-old. Now, there's a
patch on my scalp that doesn't grow hair at all.

KW:
Sorry
about that. The Kerry Washington question: If you were an animal,
what animal would you be?

RJC:
If I were an animal, I'd want to be a lion.

KW:
The Viola Davis question: What’s
the biggest difference between who you are at home as opposed to the
person we see on the red carpet?

RJC:
There's literally no
difference. I just look way better on the red carpet, since I don't
wear suits on a daily basis.

KW:
The Uduak Oduok question: Who is your favorite clothes designer?

RJC:
Brand-wise,
I really like Michael Kors and Prada.

KW:
The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good
laugh?

RJC:
Just
today.

KW:
The
Gabby Douglas question: If you had to choose another profession, what
would that be?

RJC:
Music.

KW:
The
Judyth Piazza question: What key quality do you believe all
successful people share?

RJC:
The drive and tenacity to be
creative, to take chances and to take that leap.

KW:
What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your
footsteps?

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The Sly Fox Film Reviews

KamWilliams.com

The Sly Fox Film Reviews publishes the content of film critic Kam Williams. Voted Most Outstanding Journalist of the Decade by the Disilgold Soul Literary Review in 2008, Kam Williams is a syndicated film and book critic who writes for 100+ publications around the U.S., Europe, Asia, Africa, Canada and the Caribbean. He is a member of the New York Film Critics Online, the NAACP Image Awards Nominating Committee and Rotten Tomatoes.

In addition to a BA in Black Studies from Cornell, he has an MA in English from Brown, an MBA from The Wharton School, and a JD from Boston University. Kam lives in Princeton, NJ with his wife and son.